Tag archives for National Geographic grant

A scientist brushes debris from the skull of 'Naia,' a teenage girl who died 12,000-13,000 years ago and whose remains were discovered in a deep underwater cave.

In a pitch black, 140-foot-deep underwater cave, three divers make a stunning 13,000-year-old discovery: the oldest complete human skeleton ever found in the Americas. In this video, see the ancient remains, venture through the remarkable deep-water chamber, and see how a skeleton belonging to a teenage girl from the last ice age lead scientists to a major revelation about the earliest Americans.

Competition among male side-blotched lizards takes the form of a rock-paper-scissors game in which each mating strategy beats and is beaten by one other strategy, research has shown. Barry Sinervo, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California in Santa Cruz (UCSC), has monitored the mating game in a population of…

DNA “fingerprinting” has become a reliable way to identify individual humans or animals. A biological sample such as blood, semen, or hair can be matched to an individual. Eastern imperial eagle chick in Kazahkstan picture courtesy Andrew DeWoody In the world of bird research a DNA match can be made with a feather. Each feather found in…

Maize was domesticated from its wild grass ancestor more than 8,700 years ago, according to biological evidence uncovered by researchers in Mexico’s Central Balsas River Valley. This is the earliest dated evidence — by 1,200 years — for the presence and use of domesticated maize. The researchers, led by Anthony Ranere of Temple University and…

Wild chimpanzees using tools to raid bee nests have been observed in many parts of Africa. Now observations of chimpanzees in the Congo Basin indicate that they may have developed sophisticated technical solutions to gather honey that differ from those of apes in other regions. The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project research, funded in part by the…

An epidemiologist, an aquatic ecologist, a geo-archaeologist, an ethnobotanist, and an urban planner, are among ten visionary, young trailblazers from around the world that have been named to the 2009 class of National Geographic Emerging Explorers, the National Geographic Society announced today. “National Geographic’s Emerging Explorers Program recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers,…

Photo of Brady Barr with giant salamander courtesy National Geographic Channel Brady Barr, we once reported in National Geographic News, is a man whose work bites. “I’ve had so many bumps, bruises, and broken bones, it’s sometimes hard to get out of bed in the morning,” he told me earlier today. He’s also been bitten…

Stefan Lovgren (right) and Zeb Hogan in Mongolia, holding a taimen. Photo courtesy Stefan Lovgren National Geographic News contributor Stefan Lovgren is the winner of this year’s AAAS Science Journalism Award in the online media category. Presented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society, the award…

National Geographic Voices

Researchers, conservationists, and others share stories, insights and ideas about our living planet's rapidly changing geography. More than 50,000 comments have been added to 10,000 posts. Explore the list alongside to dive deeper into some of the most popular categories of the National Geographic Society's conversation platform Voices.

Opinions are those of the blogger and/or the blogger's organization, and not necessarily those of the National Geographic Society. Posters and commenters are required to observe National Geographic's community rules and other terms of service.

Voices director: David Braun (dbraun@ngs.org)

Fighting Wildlife Crime: The Unsung Heroes

Journalist and National Geographic Fellow Bryan Christy uses investigative journalism to expose illegal wildlife trafficking around the globe. In this video he introduces a a series of interviews with the people fighting wildlife crime on the front lines.

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Fulbright-National Geographic

The Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship provides a unique platform for U.S. Fulbright awardees to build awareness of transnational challenges, comparing and contrasting cross-border issues. Their stories are shared on National Geographic digital platforms using a variety of digital storytelling tools, including text, photography, video, audio, graphic illustrations and/or social media. Meet the Fellows and follow their adventures across the world on the Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling blog.

Follow the links on the sidebar of any of the blog's pages for details and tips on how to apply for a Fellowship.

Photo of the 2016/2017 class of Fellows by Randall Scott.

Featured Research: Mushara Elephant Project

Caitlin O'Connell and her husband, Tim Rodwell, started the Mushara Elephant Project in Namibia 24 years ago to better understand elephant social structure, communication and health in order to apply this knowledge to improved care in captivity and ultimately to elephant conservation in the wild. O’Connell is on the faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine and CEO of the elephant-focused nonprofit, Utopia Scientific. A grantee of the National Geographic Society, she is also an award-winning author of six books about elephants. Read Caitlin's dispatches from Mushara.

Nat Geo Expedition: Rising Star

Two years after being discovered deep in a South African cave, the 1,500 fossils excavated during the Rising Star Expedition have been identified as belonging to a previously unknown early human relative that National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Lee Berger and team have named Homo naledi.

With at least 15 individuals of all ages and both sexes represented, the find adds an unprecedented amount of information to our understanding of early human evolution in Africa.

In addition, the absence of any other animal remains or large debris in the fossil chamber strongly suggests that these non-human beings intentionally deposited their dead within this cave.